CBD may protect against psychiatric risk from high-THC cannabis strains

Neuroscientists find cannabidiol reduces symptoms such as impaired memory in adolescent mice simultaneously exposed to THC
Indiana University (US)
Wednesday, 6 September, 2017

cannabidiolA study by neuroscientists at Indiana University finds that a nonpsychoactive compound in cannabis called cannabidiol, or CBD, appears to protect against the long-term negative psychiatric effects of THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. "This is the first study in a rigorously controlled animal model to find that CBD appears to protect the brain against the negative effects of chronic THC," lead author Dr. Ken Mackie, said. "This is especially important since heavy use of cannabis with higher levels of THC poses a serious risk to adolescents." An analysis of cannabis seized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration found that while THC levels rose 300 percent from 1995 to 2014, the levels of CBD have declined 60 percent.